Pamela Darby, the illegitimate daughter of a famous actress, charges off to Scotland with a plan to retrieve a duke's long-lost heir and restore her fortune. Armed with information discovered in her late mother's possessions, Pamela sets her sights on the unlucky highwayman who attempts to rob her. Expecting to take charge of her scheme, Pamela is not prepared as the brigand wrestles control from her. She's always taken care of her mother and her younger sister. For the first time in her life, someone else has taken the reins. All of her carefully laid plans, along with her heart, rest in the Scotsman's hands.

Connor Kincaid hates the English who killed his parents when he was 15. But robbing and terrorizing them no longer fulfills the revenge in his heart, so Connor concedes there will be no justice for the English crimes. With his hopes dashed, Connor receives an unexpected gift from an unlikely source. A cunning Englishwoman presents the perfect revenge; he will impersonate a duke's son, stealing one of the highest titles from the English. Connor figures with the reward on his head in Scotland, one of his cohorts will soon turn him into the authorities. In addition, Pamela awakens his need for human kindness and tenderness that is lacking in his life.

With panache and courage, Pamela and Connor present themselves at the duke's residence. The few obstacles fall to the wayside until they meet the deposed heir. Old jealousy and plots resurface, leaving Pamela and Connor in danger. They band together to fight their enemies praying their past is not revealed, but unexpected revelations change everything.

What fun it is to sit down and read Ms. Medeiros latest story. She captures the antics of an entrepreneur Englishwoman who takes charge of her fate and prods it in the direction she wishes. Along the way, Pamela catches a prize in a wicked Scotsman, who melts the practicality surrounding her heart enabling her to reach for her long- suppressed dreams.

Book Summary

It was to be her greatest masquerade . . .

Pamela Darby needs a man—preferably a Highland brute with more brawn than brains. Determined to save her sister from selling her virtue, the resourceful beauty requires a strapping specimen to pose as a duke's long-lost heir. Pamela plans to collect the generous reward, then send him on his way. Lucky for the brazen beauty, the seductive, silver-eyed highwayman who just held up their carriage could be her man . . .

Connor Kincaid has given up on his dream of restoring his clan's honor. And now this plucky Englishwoman is asking him to take part in a risky charade that could land them both on the gallows. Never a man to resist a challenge or the allure of a beautiful woman, Connor strikes the devil's bargain that could seal both their fates. The highwayman and the hellion journey to London as both enemies and allies—a woman who has everything to gain and a man who has nothing to lose . . . but his heart.